The Next Big Thing © NIE |
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| Weight-Loss Heavyweights Enter the Category |
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With ephedra removed from the marketplace and the continuing fade of the low-carbohydrate diet craze, weight-conscious consumers continue to look for the next big thing in weight loss products. U.S. retail sales of weight loss products increased by a total of almost 90 percent and posted a compound annual growth rate of 17 percent during the period of 1999 to 2003, according to The U.S. Market for Weight Loss Eating and Product Trends, a new report by market research publisher Packaged Facts. “Every day, another food manufacturer or restaurant chain is announcing a low-carb version of its product or menu,” said Don Montuori, acquisitions editor for New York City-based Packaged Facts. “It’s a risky proposition—especially since Americans love their starch and sugar—but in fact this ‘Atkins-ization’ of the national diet follows an established body of weight loss advice that emphasizes protein over carbohydrates.” A more recent market estimate shows that weight loss supplements represent one of the biggest markets in the entire supplement category with sales estimated to be close to $2 billion, according to Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ). The removal of ephedra has caused a slight decline in the weight management market over the past year, however. According to the NBJ, sales of sports nutrition and weight loss products in 2005 are down about five percent versus 2005. “The market has slightly declined over the past three years since the removal of ephedra from the marketplace,” said Scott Steil, vice president of sales and marketing for Humanetics in Eden Prairie, MN. “Manufacturers are coming out with ephedra-free versions to fill in that gap.” Steil also notes a decrease in the number of weight loss products being offered as opposed to three to four years ago. He attributes that decline to increased scrutiny from the Federal Trade Comission (FTC). “The FTC has really clamped down. It is going after products and companies that are making bogus claims with unsubstantiated marketing messages without clinical data to back up what they are saying about their products,” he said. Consumers are also taking a more active role in selecting weight management products, and the number of consumer seeking the magic bullet approach is shrinking. “Consumers just seeing an ad and buying products on faith is declining,” Steil opined. “Consumers are doing more research and more asking questions.” Humanetics produces 7-Keto®, a non-stimulant, thermogenic fat burner that allows the body to burn fat more efficiently, according to the company. 7-Keto is naturally found in our bodies, but declines dramatically with age. “Typically, a person loses about 50% of their endogenous 7-Keto levels by age 40,” Steil said. “This results in our bodies’ inability to burn fat like it used to when we were younger.” Humanetics claims that multiple clinical studies have shown 7-Keto produces three times greater weight loss than placebo (diet and exercise) and increases metabolism by 5.4 percent compared to placebo, which was a restricted calorie diet. Take it off, Keep it off After losing the weight, many consumers struggle to keep it off with an effective weight management plan. As consumers continue to seek out ways to win the battle of the bulge, natural product retailers play a key role in educating consumers about the benefits of weight loss and weight management products. “Store personnel should be able to help tailor a program to the customer by knowing their selection,” said Neil Levin, nutrition education manager at NOW Foods in Bloomingdale, IL. NOW Foods offers a number of weight management supplements, including Slimaluma™ Plus, a patent-pending formula containing the extract of Caralluma fimbriata, an edible succulent native to India. NOW Foods says Slimaluma™ has been clinically tested and shown to be a safe and effective dietary supplement for use in appetite control and weight management. NOW also produces Extreme™, a blend with L-carnitine, guarana, chromium picolinate and green tea extract; as well as selling straight CLA in softgel capsules. Levin said the product boasts numerous studies as to its ability to enhance body composition—specifically lean body mass—when used for long periods of time (typically over a year). NOW’s Diet Support™, is a formula providing a wide range of ingredients, including ForsLean® from Coleus forskohlii, Chelavite® chromium, Super Citrimax® (Garcinia cambogia extract containing 225 mg (-) Hydroxycitric Acid) and green tea extracts. ForsLean®, for example, is a standardized extract from the roots of the Coleus forskohlii plant, the only known plant source of forskohlin. The herb, supplied by Sabinsa Corporation (Piscataway, NJ), is important to the weight loss category as it promotes lean body mass. Last fall, Natrol Inc. (Chatsworth, CA) launched Slenderite™, a new supplement combining five top-selling ingredients said to support weight control and healthy lifestyles. The ingredients in Slenderite—Phase 2 Starch Neutralizer; EGCG (Green Tea); Caffeine; Chromium Picolinate and 5-HTP—help support healthy weight loss when used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise program, and also help to maintain a positive outlook while dieting, the company said. According to Eric Schick, Natrol’s vice president of marketing, “Slenderite contains five key ingredients that are well-known and trusted by consumers. In fact, retail surveys show that consumers often have the same ingredients in their shopping carts, but in separate supplements. Slenderite provides consumers with the convenience of one product containing all five ingredients to support their weight loss goals.” Phase 2® is a self-affirmed GRAS ingredient from Pharmachem Laboratories, Inc. (Kearny, NJ) that has been clinically shown to delay the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Phase 2 works by inhibiting the digestive enzyme responsible for converting starch into simple sugars the body can absorb. EGCG is a powerful antioxidant contained in green tea, believed to work synergistically with caffeine to promote fat oxidation. Slenderite pairs EGCG with caffeine, which may help burn excess calories and boost metabolism. Clinical evidence suggests that 5-HTP enhances mood, an action that is attributed to balancing levels of serotonin. Through balancing serotonin levels, 5-HTP helps dieters adopt a positive mindset for success that can help them stay on a diet long enough to achieve their desired weight loss goals, according to Natrol. Chromium picolinate, found in Slenderite, is a source of the essential mineral chromium, which helps the body metabolize carbohydrates, fats and protein for energy. Similarly, InterHealth Nutraceuticals’ (Benicia, CA) ChromeMate chromium ingredient is said to be a patented oxygen-coordinated niacin-bound chromium complex that plays an important role in proper insulin function, maintenance of healthy blood sugar and normal cholesterol levels, normal energy production and promotion of lean body mass. Education: The New Bottom Line “Education to consumers is critical,” Richard said. “People cannot take hoodia and CLA in the morning then eat Twinkies, Coke and Snickers the rest of the day and still expect to lose weight.” An important aspect to remember, according to Levin, is that in the natural products industry only weight management claims are allowed, but not weight loss claims. “Manufacturers and retailers have to help guide the customer to make sustainable lifestyle changes to restrict calories, increase exercise, select wholesome foods that are not providing empty calories and use selected dietary supplements to help achieve their goals,” he said. Nutratech offers Advantra Z, which, according to the company, is the only patented extract of the bitter orange (a citrus fruit -C. aurantium) picked when the fruit is immature. It works by stimulating beta-3 receptors throughout body—the ones responsible for thermogenisis. “There are at least nine research studies that show the safety and efficacy of Advantra Z® (a claim that the generics cannot make),” Thomas said. Steil, however, does not believe all natural product retailers understand the difference between weight loss and weight management. “I do not think that many retailers or consumers really understand the difference between weight loss and weight management,” Steil said. “Part of the problem can be attributed to the never ending marketing of weight loss products on television and in magazines promising radical weight loss in a month. To help prove the effectiveness of its 7-Keto product, Steil said Humanetics conducts an eight-week protocol in its studies that combines diet and exercise with the consumption of 7-Keto. Steil admits that results have varied with some participants losing 20-plus pounds during the eight weeks of diet and exercise in combination with taking 7-Keto. He also concedes that some people in the study lost no weight. “Is the [customer] educated on what products and more importantly what ingredients have solid clinical data showing they are safe and they work?” questions Steil. “It’s up to retailers to understand what science says about a product and make a decision based on clinical studies on what to say to consumers to help them set realistic weight loss objectives and ultimately achieve success.” Category Leaders: Appetite Suppressants & Thermogenics Within the weight management category two segments rank as category leaders—appetite suppressants and thermogenic products. Those that can help increase metabolism are also a growing category. “Given that all weight loss products must be associated with a diet and exercise program, it is essential that products address the natural tendency of the body to decrease metabolic rate in response to a decrease in caloric consumption,” Steil added. InterHealth’s SuperCitrimax is described as a patented calcium/potassium-hydrooxycitric acid (HCA) blend that is said to be clinically proven to control appetite, burn fat and promote healthy body weight. From a sales perspective, according to Steil, hoodia, CLA, Green Tea and 7-Keto based products have filled in the post-ephedra landscape. Sales of fat blockers and carbohydrate control products have fallen off. “Current trends in the weight loss marketplace clearly indicate that the appetite suppressant (satiety agents) and thermogenic fat burner categories are the desired choice of consumers,” noted Steil. “Each category has its solid performers in terms of sales and a few ingredients are leading the push versus a specific category.” “The collapse of the low-carbohydrate diet has opened up opportunities for some older diet and energy products, such as carnitine, CLA, Relora and 7-Keto, to be revitalized,” Richard said. The low-glycemic eating movement is another trend, noted Thomas. “This is not about just weight loss, but also about permanent healthy lifestyle choices as it promotes an eating plan that is in line with weight loss or weight maintenance,” she said. “Just a couple of years back, consumers were very confused about what ‘low glycemic’ meant, but thanks to programs and books like the South Beach Diet, as well as media attention, the public is better educated about this trend.” |
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